Apple recently began allowing browsers into the App Store, and the plainly …

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Now that Apple is allowing third-party browsers into the App Store, Safari alternatives are cropping up almost as quickly as fart apps, sans the lack of utility. While most of these browsers seem to be stricken with an anorexic case of the "me toos," Full Screen Web Browser (iTunes link) by SOPODS.com offers some compelling features over the iPhone's incumbent.

To get the headlining feature of Full Screen Web Browser (FSWB) out of the way, it offers a truly, erm, full screen Web browser. Starting up FSWB reveals a slim address bar at the top and a spartan, translucent toolbar at the bottom as the default Google homepage loads. That's right: I said default homepage. You can change your homepage in the Settings app (loss of 10 points for following Apple's Human Interface Misguide here), and this page loads each time you start FSWB. You hear that, Apple? Someone created an iPhone browser and actually remembered that homepages exist. Astounding!

Seconds later, both the address bar and toolbar disappear, allowing FSWB to utilize every last pixel of the iPhone's 480x320 display for showing off the Web. SOPODS.com claims that FSWB has 25 percent more viewing area than Safari in portrait mode, and a whopping 40 percent more in landscape mode.

Indeed, this extra space can be liberating when surfing many sites, and one of the iPhone's catchy gimmicks is harnessed when calling up FSWB's navigation tools: the shake. Thanks to the accelerometer, you simply shake the phone to display the address bar and toolbar, though a few pros and cons of FSWB's approach come into play. First, aside from the forward and back buttons on the toolbar, there is no history or bookmarks features. FSWB may be a prime candidate for porn mode secure browsing on the go, but you will also need to type each URL in its entirety each time you want to visit.

A comparison of available screen space in portrait mode. Safari is on left, Full Screen Web Browser on right

This is yin and yang at its finest, as we found ourselves simultaneously appreciating the added security of no history, but loathing the repetition of typing in full URLs. Some competing browsers, such as FullBrowser from OmarMashhour (iTunes link), have added bookmarks, so perhaps these can be optional features for users who don't need all the security.

Another comparison in landscape mode. Safari on left, Full Screen Web Browser on right. This is really where FSWB shines

Of course, FSWB's homepage feature could cut down significantly on back-and-forth browsing and the need to constantly type in URLs. Set a start page like iGoogle for iPhone or Netvibes as FSWB's homepage, and you can collect a lot of tools and news feeds on a single, convenient page.

FSWB's other notable feature is "full integration" with Safari. The toolbar's action menu provides links for opening a page in Safari, sharing a link with Mail, or quickly setting the current page as FSWB's homepage. A bookmakrlet on SOPODS.com's site allows Safari to shuffle pages in the other direction.

As far as performance goes, FSWB feels a lot like Safari, and it should. It's built on Safari's WebKit engine—as are all other App Store browsers per Apple's denial of competing rendering engines (for now)—so websites look and load just as they do in Safari.

Unfortunately, FSWB's integration with Safari and the rest of the iPhone's software ecosystem stops with that bookmarklet and WebKit foundation. Even if FSWB had a bookmarks feature, we are not aware of any way to synchronize bookmarks with an iPhone browser. Perhaps more detrimental, Apple offers no way to set a default browser, so Safari will intercept every link that you tap on from e-mail, Twitter clients, and other apps.

Conclusion

FSWB's full screen features in both portrait and landscape modes offer more room than Safari, and the ability to get links out to other apps means you are not stranded if you reach a page that you would like to share or save for later. It may not be able to replace Safari yet, but keep in mind that Apple could very well open up iPhone OS features to FSWB some day—or steamroll it by adding the same features to Safari as well.

But if you can live without tabs, and you view a lack of history and bookmarks as more of a pro than a con, Full Screen Web Browser is a great Safari companion for its cheap 99� price.